Victims' Code of Practice

The Ministry of Justice’s revised Code of Practice for Victims of Crime became effective in December 2013. The Victims’ Code sets out in plain English what people should expect from the moment they report a crime to the end of a trial. For the first time there is tailored advice in the Code for under-18s and their guardians on attending court and giving evidence.

The Code will make sure that victims of the most serious crimes, including hate crime, domestic violence, terrorism and sexual offences, persistently targeted victims and all vulnerable and intimidated victims get access to vital services, like pre-trial therapy and counselling.

The statutory Victims’ Code will also:

Entitle victims to say whether they want to read out their Victim Personal Statement in court, subject to the court’s discretion

Ensure all victims are automatically referred to victims’ service by the police so that all victims receive consistent and immediate access to support services

Give victims a clearer means of redress if they are not given the support they deserve

For the first time give businesses, who are victims of 9.2 million crimes committed each year, the ability to have their say by writing an Impact Statement to explain to the court how a crime has affected them.